Democracy should flow through a public hearing, not a private audience. Yet, in the people’s house, the most important conversations happen in the hallways—and they’re all off the record.

In threatening the press for reporting the truth about an impaired lawmaker, a gang of Hawaiʻi senators traded their public obligation to transparency for tribal loyalty—and showed just how comfortable they've become with authoritarian tactics at home.

After decades of colonial resource extraction, Dole Plantation is sticking the public with the cost of fixing its aging Wahiawā dam and ditch system. With big Ag Park dreams, a powerful Hawaiʻi Senator wonders, “how we gon’ pay for dat?”

New legislative session, same giant obstacles. Hawaiʻi Judiciary chairs, Rep. David Tarnas and Sen. Karl Rhoads—the Sunshine Boys—stare down the 2026 gauntlet. Someone get these guys some brighter flashlights!

Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage is now $16 an hour. This hard-won raise is a down payment, not a solution. The data shows a true living wage is over $22 an hour for a worker with no children. The fight for a true living wage must continue.

CONFIRMED: Big Tech’s AI is a brain-farming operation. My new cartoon exposes the mainframe to a horrified lawmaker. The blue pill is lobbyist lies. The red pill is the trampled regulation bill. The truth is on the screen.

I want to believe... in a corruption-free legislature! Calls are growing to reveal the identify of the lawmaker who took $35k in cash, but senate and house leadership could do a lot more to get to the truth. 🛸📁

Hawaiʻi makes history as the first state to enact a green fee. Worldwide, tourists usually don’t mind paying these fees to offset their impact. But those who profit from the industry have long claimed the sky will fall as a result.

Rep. Kyle Yamashita is out as State House Finance Committee chair. Like Napoleon before him, will he make a comeback from his political exile and storm his way back into power?

A pair of state senators derailed a gun control bill at the 11th hour, arguing hunters of invasive pig and deer need semi-automatic weapons to do their jobs. Sounds like a skill issue to me.

The 2025 Hawaiʻi legislative session ended with an ignominious whimper when it comes to good government reform, or “sunshine,” bills—the last of which died in conference committee the week before this cartoon ran.

When we have money to fund tax credits for powerful film studios, but no money to invest in tax credits for our keiki, the lines between fictional exploitation and the dismal reality of life start to feel blurred. Are we not, in fact, living The White Lotus?

A proposed package of pay raises for public servants would be a lot more palatable to voters if lawmakers hadn’t nixed a bill to make the legislature year round and ban side jobs.

The Sunshine Boys return for this follow up at the halfway point in the Hawaiʻi legislature session, called “crossover.” Many, but not all, government reform bills have died already.

The State Capitol could be closed for years for critical renovations. Lawmakers and the governor will likely end up in a convention center, but I think I’ve got a better idea.

Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm continues to put the weight of his office behind stopping cannabis legalization bills at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature instead of focusing on things that are actually dangerous.

A state commission policing what journalists write about the state? What could go wrong?

To celebrate the relaunched Honolulu Civil Beat “Sunshine Sunday” accountability section, this cartoon riffs on the Hardy Boys to talk about efforts by the two legislative judiciary chairs, Sen. Rhoads and Rep. Tarnas, to reform the opaque legislature (square building).

There are always winners and losers in every proposed budget, but some of the guests at this year’s budget banquet might be consuming more than makes sense, while others could use more than breadcrumbs.

Rep. David Alcos claims he didn't know what he was doing when he failed to disclose millions in debt as required by state law. Perhaps, but either way lawmakers in debt have a lot to potentially offer to anyone willing to bail them out, with the right strings attached.